Apparatus and methods for cutting electronic displays during resizing

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and methods for resizing electronic displays are provided. The display includes a front plate, a back plate, a perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, image-generating medium contained in an area between the plates, and polarizing layers and/or other films on the outer surfaces of the plates. A target portion of the display is identified, and a saw is passed along a cut line to create a channel that extends through the polarizer to the outer surface of the top plate. A scriber tool is passed along the cut line within the channel to create a scribe line in the outer surface of the top plate. The display is inverted, and the process repeated to cut a channel and scribe the bottom plate. The plates are broken along the scribe line, and a seal is applied along the exposed edge, which may penetrate between the plates.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims benefit of provisional application Ser. No.60/573,421, filed May 21, 2004, the entire disclosure of which isexpressly incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application is directed to apparatus and methods forresizing a liquid crystal display (LCD) or other electronic display,and, more particularly, for cutting and separating a desired portion ofa display from an excess portion where the display includes one or morelayers of polarizers, filters, and/or other films thereon.

BACKGROUND

An LCD or other electronic display is typically made of a top plate anda bottom plate with image-generating medium contained between the plateswithin a peripheral seal, and with electronics connected to theimage-generating medium from the edges. The electronics control theimage-generating medium through a matrix of row and column lines (insome displays with distributed electronics) and cause an image to appearby means of the electro-optical phenomenon of the material used in theimage-generating medium. Each plate may include several layers ofdissimilar materials, such as glass, plastics, polarizers, filters,compensators, optical coatings, electrical coatings, electroniccircuits, adhesives, etc.

It has been suggested that a premanufactured display, e.g., acommercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) LCD, may be reduced in size by cuttingthe display at a desired location, resealing the portion to be saved,reestablishing the electronics as necessary, and reestablishing and/orenhancing the polarizer and/or other layers of the plates as necessary.Exemplary methods for resizing LCDs are described in U.S. Pat. No.6,204,906 (“the '906 Patent”), which names the same inventor as theinventor of the present application. The entire disclosure of the '906Patent is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

To separate a desired portion of a completed display from an excessportion of the display, the many layers of the display must becompletely severed. Before cutting the glass plates of a display, it hasbeen suggested to remove a strip of the overlying plastic layers (e.g.,polarizers, filters, etc.) to access the underlying layers, particularlythe glass plates themselves. To remove this strip, two cuts are madealong the border between the desired and excess portions, one cut oneach side of the intended cut line. The strip between the two cut linesmay then be peeled away to expose the next layer to be cut, e.g., toexpose the surface of the underlying glass plate. Alternatively, theoverlying layers (e.g., polarizers, filters, etc.) may be removedentirely from the plates and replaced after the glass plates (or otherlayers) are cut, although this may increase the cost of the resizeddisplay and/or risks changing the performance and durability of thedisplay.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to apparatus and methods for resizingLCDs or other electronic displays, and, more particularly, to apparatusand methods for cutting and/or separating a target portion of a displayfrom an excess portion, the display including one or more layers ofpolarizers, filters, and the like thereon.

In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided for resizing anelectronic display including top and bottom plates, and image-generatingmedium sealed between the top and bottom plates. The display includesone or more layers overlying the top plate, e.g., one or more of apolarizer, filter, adhesive, optical coatings, and the like (andoptionally overlying the bottom plate as well). Initially, a cut linemay be identified that defines a border between a target portion of thedisplay (the portion intended for the new resized display) and an excessportion of the display (which may be discarded or reused).

A cutting tool may be passed along the cut line over the display tocreate a trench or other channel that extends through the one or morelayers to a surface of the top plate. In one embodiment, a strip of theone or more layers may be removed in a single cut such that the cuttingtool, e.g., a saw, removes sufficient material to expose the underlyingouter surface of the top plate. Optionally, the cutting tool may includea vacuum or other tool, e.g., mounted behind the saw, to remove sawdustor other material dislodged when the channel is created.

A scriber tool may be passed along the cut line within the channel tocreate a scribe line in the surface of the top plate. If the bottomplate also includes one or more layers overlying a surface of the bottomplate, the process may be repeated to cut a channel in the one or morelayers and scribe the bottom plate.

Optionally, a solvent may be delivered along the channel, e.g., todissolve material from within the channel, e.g., debris from the one ormore layers, adhesive, and the like, before the scriber tool is passedalong the cut line. In addition, an absorbent material or other elementmay be passed along the cut line, e.g., after delivering the solvent, tocollect or otherwise remove material from within the channel.

In one embodiment, at least two of these steps may be accomplished in asingle pass, e.g., using a cutting or tool assembly carrying a pluralityof tools. For example, a cutting assembly may be passed along the cutline above the top plate (and optionally successively above the bottomplate) that carries a cutting tool and a scriber tool aligned tosuccessively cut and scribe the display. Alternatively, one or more ofthese steps may be performed successively, e.g., using separate toolsthat may be passed along the cut line. In a further alternative, one ormore of these steps may be performed successively using a cuttingassembly that includes multiple tools that may be quickly directedbetween active and inactive positions or otherwise interchanged.

After creating the channel and scribe line(s), the top plate (and/or thebottom plate) may be broken along the scribe line to separate the targetportion from the excess portion. A seal may be applied along the exposededge of the target portion, e.g., between the plates. Optionally, duringthe resizing process, it may be necessary or desirable to replenish orexchange the image-generating medium.

In accordance with another embodiment, an apparatus is provided forresizing an electronic display including top and bottom plates, andimaging-generating medium sealed between the top and bottom plates. Atleast the top plate (and optionally, the bottom plate) may include oneor more layers overlying a surface of the top plate (and bottom plate).The apparatus may include a machine or other fixture for stabilizing thedisplay while providing access to the top plate (and/or bottom plate).The apparatus may also include a cutting or tool assembly movablerelative to the fixture, e.g., for cutting a display stabilized thereon.For example, the cutting assembly may include two or more tools, e.g., acutting tool, a scriber tool, a nozzle or other device for delivering asolvent onto the display to dissolve material in the channel, and/or anabsorbing or other element for removing the solvent and/or debris fromthe channel.

In exemplary embodiments, the cutting tool may be a saw for creating achannel through the one or more layers to the surface of the top plate(and bottom plate), and the scriber tool may be a scribe wheel forcreating a scribe line in the surface of the top plate (and bottomplate). In one embodiment, the cutting tool may create a channel in asingle pass having a width corresponding to a width of the saw, and thescriber tool may have a width smaller than the channel such that thescriber tool may contact the surface of the plate without requiringfurther removal of the polarizer and/or other overlying layer(s), i.e.,between the remaining portions of the overlying layer(s).

Generally, the apparatus and methods of the present invention mayaccomplish the resizing of a display while minimizing cost and/orminimizing the impact on the display performance. In addition, it may bedesirable to make the new cut and seal of a minimal width. This may makethe periphery associated with the new cut line minimal. The cost mayalso be reduced if as many as possible of the original layers on theplates remain in their original location and reused. The performance mayalso be preserved if the desired display portion is disturbed as littleas possible.

Other aspects and features of the invention will become apparent fromconsideration of the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, inwhich:

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a typical COTS AMLCD.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the COTS AMLCD of FIG. 1A, takenalong line 1B-1B, with column TABs removed from the cross-section forpurposes of clarity.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of a customized display made from the COTS AMLCDshown in FIG. 1A, by cutting along line 2-2 in FIG. 1, and thenresealing a retained portion of the display.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the customized display of FIG. 2A,taken along line 2B-2B, with the column TABs removed from thecross-section for purposes of clarity.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an exemplary method for resizing orcustomizing an electronic display.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional details of the display of FIGS. 1Aand 1B across the cut-line 2-2, showing a channel being cut through thepolarizer layers using a saw.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the display of FIGS. 4A and 4B,showing a vent being scribed into the plates within the channel using ascribe wheel.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a fixture including a pair ofpressure plates holding the display of FIGS. 4A-5 between the pressureplates.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an arm of a tool assembly carrying a saw, atool for cleaning residue, and a scribe wheel positioned over a displaymounted to a fixture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In this application, COTS is an acronym for “Commercial Off-The-Shelf,”FPD is an acronym for “Flat-Panel Display,” LCD is an acronym for“Liquid Crystal Display,” PDLC is an acronym for “Polymer-DispersedLiquid Crystal,” AMLCD is an acronym for “Active Matrix Liquid CrystalDisplay,” TAB is an acronym for “Tape-Automated-Bonding,” COG is anacronym for “Chip-On-Glass,” UV is an acronym for “ultraviolet,” VLSI isan acronym for “Very Large Scale Integration,” and HDTV is an acronymfor “High-Definition Television.”

Turning to the drawings, FIGS. 1A and 1B show a typical non-square(rectangular) COTS AMLCD 10, e.g., before resizing and/or othermodification as described herein, but after disassembly from itsoriginal bezel, frame, and/or other associated hardware and electronics.For clarity, some of the external components associated with the display10 (other than the circuit boards 15) are not shown, e.g., that may bebonded or otherwise attached to the plates 20. Such external componentsmay be removed before or while customizing the display 10, as describedelsewhere herein.

The display 10 generally includes a front plate 20 f and a back plate 20b, e.g., made of glass, such as borosilicate or other hard glass. Theplates 20 are held together by a perimeter seal 25, and may be furthersecured within a bezel (not shown), which, in turn, may be secured to aframe or other hardware (not shown), e.g., for attachment to the targetlocation, e.g., in a cockpit panel of an aircraft. Polarizing films 30 fand 30 b, filters (not shown), image enhancement films (not shown),retardation films (not shown), viewing angle enhancement films (notshown), and/or other films may exist on the front and/or back outersurfaces of the plates 20.

Thus, each side of the display 10 generally includes two major layers,and possibly many minor layers. For example, the outer layer of eachside may include a polarizer, e.g., made of plastic, along with severalminor layers (e.g., filters, films, compensators, optical coatings,adhesives, etc.). As used herein, “polarizer” may be used generically torefer to the entire outer layer on each side of the display 10, eventhough the outer layer may include additional layers in addition to thepolarizer (or even instead of a polarizer). The inner layer of each sideof the display 10 may include a major layer, i.e., the glass plate, butmay also include many minor layers (e.g., electrical circuitry,dielectrics, filters, etc., not shown) printed or otherwise provided onthe plate 20, e.g., on an inner surface of the glass plate 20. As usedherein, “plate” may be used generically to refer to the glass plate aswell as the many minor layers carried by the glass plate.

As explained further below, each side of the display 10 may be cut usingtwo different tools and/or methods for each major layer, and the minorlayers may be cut when the respective major layers are cut. The minorlayers may be relatively thin as compared to the major layers and, thusmay be cut simultaneously when the major layers are cut.

Returning to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the original display image area 40 definedby the manufacturer of the COTS display 10 is indicated by dashedperimeter line 45. Dashed line 50 represents the desired right edge ofthe display image area 40 after customization, as described below. Alight-blocking mask (not shown), e.g., an opaque coating, may beprovided on at least one of the inner surfaces of the plates 20, e.g.,covering a perimeter area around the display image area 40, andextending outwardly to a sufficient distance to serve its purpose.Typically, the distance may be up to the edge of the bezel, or to theinner edge 55 of perimeter seal 25, as indicated by arrows 60 in FIG.1A. Without the mask, light escaping from the edge of the display imagearea 40 may distract a person viewing the display 10 and/or otherwiseimpair viewing an image on the display 10.

Row and column electronic drivers 65 r and 65 c respectively are bondedto TAB substrates 70 r and 70 c respectively, which in turn are bondedto the edges of the plates 20, e.g., using electrically-anisotropicadhesives known in the art. In avionics, bent TABs (not shown) may beused to save panel area. In addition or alternatively, the drivers 65may be attached directly to the plates 20 as COGs. The TABs 70 may bebonded or soldered to circuit boards 15, and are electrically connectedto external sources via connections 90 to circuit boards 15. COGs (notshown) may be electrically connected to the edges of the display plates20, which may be electrically connected via ribbon cables to externalsources (not shown). For simplicity, a few exemplary connections 90 areshown in FIG. 2A, although it will be understood that they may beprovided as desired or needed.

The electronic drivers 65 may include VLSI circuits having correspondingexternal leads 80 r and 80 c that are electrically connected throughperimeter seal 25 to row and column electric leads 85 r and 85 c,respectively (see FIG. 2A). Again for simplicity, only a few leads 80from one row TAB 70 r and two column TABs 70 c are shown in FIG. 2A, butit is understood that each row TAB 70 r and each column TAB 70 c mayhave dozens or even hundreds of individual leads 80. The row and columnelectric leads 85 may be distributed throughout an image-generatingmedium, such as liquid crystal material (normally transparent) containedbetween the plates 20, as seen in FIG. 2A.

In addition to holding the plates 20 together, the perimeter seal 25substantially isolates and protects the image-generating medium from theoutside environment. In addition, precisely sized spacers (not shown)may be distributed throughout the image-generating medium. Afterconventional manufacturing, the region between the plates 20 may bemaintained at a partial vacuum to draw the plates 20 against thespacers, e.g., to ensure that the distance between the plates 20 ismaintained at a predetermined cell spacing or “cell gap,” e.g., betweenabout five (5) and six (6) micrometers, which is appropriate for thedisplay 10 to operate normally. Although a COTS AMLCD is described, itwill be appreciated that the tools and methods described herein may beused to customize or otherwise modify other electronic displays, such aspassive matrix LCDs, plasma panels, organic LEDs, and the like.

Turning to FIG. 3, an exemplary method is shown for resizing,customizing, or otherwise modifying an electronic display, such as theCOTS display 10 of FIGS. 1A and 1B to create a customized display, suchas the display 10′ shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The COTS display 10 may becustomized in varying degrees, as necessary or desired, and the examplesprovided herein are not to be viewed as setting forth requiredtechniques unless specifically so stated. Further, although the stepsare provided in a sequential order, it will be appreciated that theorder in which the steps are performed may be varied. In addition, oneor more of the steps may be eliminated and/or may be substituted withone or more of the steps from other methods described herein.

Initially, at step 208, a cut line may be identified, such as cut-line2-2 in FIG. 1A, which may separate a target portion 12 of the COTSdisplay 10 (e.g., corresponding to the portion to be retained to createthe customized display 10′) from an excess portion 14 (e.g.,corresponding to the portion that may be discarded or saved for otherpurposes). In the example shown, the target portion 12 is substantiallysquare, e.g., corresponding to a standard shape of a region of anairplane control panel (not shown). Alternatively, the target portion 12may have a rectangular, triangular, curved, or other more complicatedshape (e.g., which may include cutting one or more additional portionsfrom the target portion 12, as described further elsewhere herein).

At step 210, the display 10 may be removed from its frame assembly,e.g., if a fully assembled display apparatus is being resized. This mayinclude removing any excess electronics that may interfere with aportion of the resizing procedure, and/or that may be modified orreplaced with other electronics.

At step 212, one or more circuit boards, e.g., circuit boards 15 and/orTABs 70, of the display may be cut, e.g., using hand or power tools,such as a hand shear, power saw, and the like. As shown in FIGS. 1A and2A, the circuit board 15 has been cut generally parallel to cut line2-2. Optionally, any cut edges may trimmed or otherwise treated, e.g.,using a mill, router, sandpaper, and the like. If the cut-line 2-2requires cutting through an electronic driver 65, the driver 65 may needto be relocated and/or replaced. Alternatively, the circuit board(s) 15,TABs 70, and/or drivers 65 may be removed entirely, e.g., if newflexible or rigid circuits boards are to be attached to the customizeddisplay 10.′

At step 214, one or more polarizers (and/or other films) 30 may beremoved from at least a portion of the display 10, e.g., on the exposedsurfaces of one or both plates 20 of the display 10. For example, in oneembodiment, the polarizer(s) 30 may be scored, e.g., inside the cut-line2-2, to create a target polarizer portion overlying the target portion,which may be retained during the customization process. The remainder orexcess polarizer portion (e.g., overlying the cut-line 2-2 and theexcess portion 14 of the COTS display 10) may then be removed and/ordiscarded. In another embodiment, the polarizer(s) 30 may be scoredalong two lines on either side of the cut-line 2-2, and the resultingstrip may be removed to provide access to the underlying plate(s) 20.Alternatively, the display 10 may not include any polarizers or films,and this step may be omitted.

Turning to FIGS. 4A and 4B, in still another embodiment, a portion ofthe polarizer(s) 30 immediately overlying the cut-line 2-2 (or offset toeither side of the cut-line 2-2, if desired) may be removed to create anarrow trench or channel 32 through the polarizer(s) 30 to the surfaceof the plate(s) 20. In exemplary embodiments, the resulting channel 32may have a width “W” of about 1.25 millimeters (0.050 inch) or less,and/or less than about 0.030 inch (0.75 mm). The channel 32 may becentered over the intended cut line 2-2, as shown in FIG. 4B.Alternatively, the channel 32 may be offset slightly to one side or theother of the cut line 2-2 as long as the surface of the plate 20 alongthe cut line 2-2 is exposed.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the polarizer(s) 30 may be sawed using afine-toothed round saw 100 rotated using an electric motor (not shown).The saw 100 may be mounted to a machine tool assembly (not shown) andguided along the display 10 at a proper orientation and/or depth, andwith sufficient saw action to remove substantially all of the polarizermaterial completely down to the surface of the plate 20. For example,the saw 100 may have a width corresponding to the desired width of thechannel “W” or may have a width slightly less than “W.”

The saw 100 may be drawn precisely along the cut line 2-2 at a depthsubstantially equivalent to a thickness “T” of the polarizer 30 to cutthrough and expose the surface of each of the plates 20. In thisembodiment, the channel 32 may be created in a single pass over eachside of the display 10. The depth of the saw 100 may be controlledprecisely such that the saw 100 cuts through the polarizer 30 and passesalong and contacts the outer surface of the plate 20 without scoring,abrading, or otherwise damaging the plate 20. Alternatively, the channel32 may be created using several passes, each pass removing an additionallayer of the polarizer 30 and approaching the surface of the plate 20,e.g., until the surface of the plate 20 is exposed. As shown in FIG. 4B,the resulting channel 32 may have sides 33 that extend substantiallyperpendicular to the plate surface, as shown for the front plate 20 f,or may have sides 33′ that extend laterally from the plate surface, asshown for the back plate 20 b.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 7, the display 10 may be mounted on avacuum chuck or other fixture 104, e.g., to stabilize and/or otherwisesecure the display 10 while the channel 32 is created on one (or each)side of the display 10. The saw 100 may be carried on a machine toolassembly (not shown), which, optionally, may include one or moreadditional tools, as described further below. In one embodiment, the saw100 may be carried on a movable arm 106 of the machine tool assemblythat may be moved relative to the fixture. Alternatively, the saw 100may be stationary, and the fixture may hold and move the display 10under the saw 100.

The machine tool assembly may be secured on or adjacent the fixture,e.g., such that motion of the machine tool assembly relative to thefixture may be controlled precisely. A computer or other processor mayprecisely move and/or otherwise control the machine tool assembly and/orfixture, e.g., along X and Y axes (along the plane of the fixture), andoptionally along a Z axis (away from or towards the plane of thefixture). Alternatively or in addition, the machine tool assembly and/orfixture may be set and/or manipulated manually.

After the channel 32 is created, the surface of the display 10 may becleaned along the cut line 2-2. For example, any sawdust, remaining filmadhesive, and/or other residue may be removed, e.g., to clear theexposed surface of the plate 20. For example, a vacuum line, a cleaningwheel carrying a sponge, cloth, and the like, a nozzle for a solvent orother liquid, and/or other tool 108 may be directed along the cut-line2-2 to remove any such residue. Such tool(s) 108 may be carried by thearm 106 carrying the saw 100, e.g., such that the tool(s) 108 followbehind the saw 100 to clean the channel 32 as it is created, e.g., asshown in FIG. 7.

Alternatively, the channel 32 may be manually cleaned or otherwiseprepared after being creating. For example, any film adhesive remainingin the channel 32 may be cleaned, e.g., using a cotton swab, fabric,sponge, and the like, alone or along with a solvent, such as 91%isopropyl alcohol solution. This procedure may be repeated on both sidesof the display 10 if polarizers 30 are provided and a channel 32 createdon both sides.

Using these methods, the original polarizer(s) 30 may remain intact overa target display image area 40′ while still providing unobstructedaccess to the plates 20, e.g., for cutting or otherwise separatingportions of the plates 20. For example, in FIG. 1A, the target displayimage area 40′ of the target portion 12 is defined by a rectangle (orsquare) A-B-C-D, and the polarizer(s) 30 should remain intact at leastover this area. In addition, the polarizers 30 over the cut line 2-2 maybe removed without substantial risk of damaging the surface of theplates 20, which may prevent or create problems scribing the surface ofthe plates 20.

Returning to FIG. 3, at step 216, one or both plates 20 of the display10 may be scribed along the intended cut line 2-2. In one embodiment,shown in FIG. 5, the plates 20 may be scribed with a scribe wheel 102along the intended cut line 2-2 to create a vent 34. As shown, thechannel 32 should have sufficient width “W” to accommodate passing thescribe wheel 102 between the side walls 33 of the channel 32 and againstthe surface of the plate 20. The parameters for scribing using thescribe wheel 102, i.e., scribing speed and pressure, are similar tothose used in the LCD industry for scribing glass plates of LCDs.

In one embodiment, the scribe wheel 102 may be provided on a separatetool than the saw 100 used to create the channel 32. For example, thedisplay 10 may be moved to another work station including a vacuum chuckor other fixture, and the scribe wheel 102 may be moved along the cutline 2-2 using similar apparatus and methods described above for the saw100. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the saw 100 for cutting thepolarizer(s) and the scribe wheel 102 may be mounted on the same toolhead 106, e.g., such that the cutting and scribing steps may becompleted successively in one pass along each plate of the display. Therelative positions of the saw 100 and scribe wheel 102, e.g., in the Zaxis, may be fixed to allow the channel 32 to be created first and thevent 34 to be created immediately behind the saw 100. Optionally, alsoas shown in FIG. 7, one or more cleaning tools 108 (such as thosedescribed above) may be provided between the saw 100 and the scribewheel 102 in this alternative to clean the channel 32 before creatingthe vent 34.

In another alternative, the scribe wheel 102 and/or saw 100 may beprovided on a single tool assembly, but may be lowered successively whenneeded, e.g., using a pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical, or otheractuators that control the positions of the tools along the Z axis.Thus, the saw 100 may be lowered and used to create the channel 32,whereupon the saw 100 may be retracted and the scribe wheel 102 loweredand used to create the vent 34.

The vents 34 themselves do not separate the target portion 12 of thedisplay 10 from the excess portion 14. Rather, the vents form thebeginning of a crack that may be propagated into the glass plates 20, asdescribed further below. Thus, after creating the channels 32 and vents34, the display 10 may be handled or moved, if necessary, without riskof damaging the display 10 or LC material escaping from within thedisplay 10.

Returning to FIG. 3, at step 218, the display 10 may be broken along thescribe line(s). For example, the display 10 may be removed from thevacuum chuck or other fixture used to create the channels 32 and/orvents 34, and placed on a flat plate of glass and the like (not shown).A strip of material, e.g., a 0.008 inch thick silicone or rubber strip(also not shown), may be placed on the flat plate before the display 10such that the cut line 2-2 is substantially parallel to the rubber stripbut offset to one side, e.g., about fifty (50) millimeters (two (2)inches). The cut line 2-2 of the upper plate may then be stroked with acotton swab or other tool at moderate pressure, e.g., to cause the lowerplate of the display 10 to break along the scribe line. The display 10may be turned over, placed upon the flat plate over the rubber stripeand aligned in a similar manner, and the other plate (now exposed) maybe stroked in a similar manner, to break the (now) lower plate along thescribe line. Thus, the display 10 may be separated into multiple pieces,e.g., into a target portion and an excess portion.

If the plates are not broken after a single pass, these steps may berepeated, as necessary, on one or both sides of the display, until thedisplay is separated. Generally, only one side of the display will breakalong the scribe line at a time (i.e., the lower plate opposite theupper plate being stroked). However, during some procedures, both sidesmay break simultaneously along the scribe lines. In addition, one orboth plates may break spontaneously during the scribing operation,thereby omitted one or both of the stroking steps. Alternatively, therubber strip may be replaced with a continuous sheet of flexiblematerial under the display, and the display may be broken, e.g., using atool that uniformly strikes the display along the scribe line, such asthe tools used by Villa Precision for breaking glass done in the glasscutting industry.

With additional reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, when the display 10 breaksinto the target and excess portions 12, 14, the plates 20 of the display10 may expand, e.g., along the exposed edges of the target and excessportions 12, 14. As explained above, this may occur because the regionbetween the plates 20 of the display 10 may be at a reduced pressure,e.g., substantially at a vacuum. When the display 10 is broken orotherwise separated along the scribe line(s), atmospheric pressure mayenter the region between the plates 20, thereby causing the plates 20 toseparate or otherwise expand away from one another a distance greaterthan the performance spacing.

Returning to FIG. 3, at step 220, the target portion 12 of the display10 (the portion to be used for the resized display) may be placed in apressure plate tool, e.g., to stabilize the target portion 12 inpreparation for sealing. Alternatively, the display 10 may be mounted ina pressure plate tool after creating the channels 32 and vents 34 butbefore separating the target portion 12 from the excess portion 14, asexplained further below.

For example, turning to FIG. 6, the display 10 may be secured within apressure plate tool 110 before separating the target portion 12 and theexcess portion 14. Generally, the pressure plate tool 110 includes twosubstantially rigid plates 116, 118. In one embodiment, one of theplates 116 may include a plurality of apertures 122 on an inner surface116 a of the plate 116 that communicates with a port 124. The port 124may be coupled to a vacuum source (not shown), such that the first plate116 provides a vacuum chuck.

The second pressure plate 118 may include an inner surface 118 a againstwhich a bladder 126 is secured or otherwise disposed. The secondpressure plate 118 may include one or more apertures 128 (one shown inFIG. 6 for illustration only) within the interior of the bladder 1226that communicate with a port 130. The port 130 may communicate with apump, a compressed gas container, or other source of inflation media(not shown), thereby allowing inflation media, e.g., air, gas, oil,water, and the like, to be delivered into an interior of the bladder 126to expand the bladder 126. The bladder 126 may be formed from an elasticmaterial or a substantially inelastic material, e.g., transparentsilicone rubber, having a thickness of about 0.80 millimeter ( 1/32inch). Optionally, both plates 116, 118 may include bladders 126, ifdesired.

With the plates 116, 118 separated or otherwise opened, the targetportion 12 of the display 10 may be placed on the inner surface 116 a ofthe first pressure plate 116. Optionally, the first pressure plate 116may include one or more alignment pins (not shown) extending from theinner surface 116 a for placing the target portion 12 in a predeterminedorientation on the inner surface 116 a. For example, the pins may ensurethat the display 10 is positioned with the excess portion 14 of thedisplay 10 disposed beyond edge 117 of the first pressure plate 116,e.g., with the cut line 2-2 (not shown) aligned along the upper edge117.

Once the display 10 is placed and/or properly positioned against theinner surface 116 a, the vacuum source may be activated to substantiallysecure the target portion 12 against the first pressure plate 116. Thesecond pressure plate 118 may then be mounted to the first pressureplate 116, e.g., using one or more bolts or other fasteners (not shown).Thus, the display 10 may be stabilized or otherwise maintained betweenthe pressure plates 116, 118. In one embodiment, the fasteners oralignment pins may fix the second pressure plate 118 spaced apart fromthe first plate 116 by a predetermined distance, e.g., about fivemillimeters (0.200 inch).

The bladder 126 may then be inflated to a first predetermined pressure,e.g., between about one and three pounds per square inch (1-3 psi). Thefirst predetermined pressure may be sufficient to maintain the plates 20of the display 10 at a predetermined spacing. For example, the firstpredetermined pressure may maintain the plates 20 of the display 10 atthe desired cell spacing for the display 10 to operate normally, asdescribed above. Stated differently, the first predetermined pressuremay be sufficient to hold the plates 20 against the internal spacers(not shown) of the display 10 without improperly compressing orotherwise damaging the spacers. Thus, the first predetermined pressuremay prevent the plates 20 from moving away from one another, e.g., oncethe excess portion 14 is separated from the target portion 12, and theinterior region of the target portion 12 is exposed to ambient pressure.

If the plates 20 have separated, e.g., because the target portion 12 hasalready been separated from the excess portion 14, the pressure from thebladder 126 may return the plates 20 to their original operationalspacing. The bladder 126 may distribute the pressure substantiallyuniformly over the surface of the target portion 12 of the display 10,e.g., to ensure that the spacing between the plates 20 remainssubstantially uniform over the area of the target portion 12.

If the display 10 has not yet been broken, the excess portion 14 of thedisplay 10 may extend beyond the edges 117, 119 of the pressure plates116, 118. The excess portion 14 may be bent to cause the plates 20 tobreak along the scribe lines created along the cut-line 2-2. Forexample, a torque or other substantially uniform force may be applied,e.g., manually, to the excess portion 14 substantially perpendicular tothe plane of the plates 20 to break each of the plates 20.

With the excess portion 14 separated, the interior region of the targetportion 12 is exposed to atmospheric pressure, which may besubstantially higher than the original pressure within the interiorregion of the target portion 12. Because the target portion 12 isstabilized between the pressure plates 116, 118, e.g., using the bladder126, the plates 20 remain substantially at the predetermined cellspacing. Without the pressure plates 116, 118, the tendency of theplates 20 would be to separate as air is drawn therebetween, which mayimpair or destroy the effectiveness of the target portion 12 to displayimages. Because of the pressure plates 116, 118, the plates 20 remainpositioned against the spacers within the interior region to preservethe predetermined cell spacing.

With the excess portion 14 removed, the target portion 12 now has anexposed edge 16, as shown in FIG. 6. Alternatively, if the excessportion 14 was separated before placing the target portion 12 within theplates 116, 118, the same procedure may be used to return the plates 20of the display 10 to their original spacing. At this point, one or moreseals may then be applied along the exposed edge 16 to substantiallyseal the interior region of the target portion 12 and/or ruggedize thetarget portion 12 to create a customized display, such as the display10′ shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

Returning to FIG. 3 and with continuing reference to FIG. 6, steps222-228 may be followed to apply a first seal 26 along the exposed edge16 that extends between the plates 20. First, at step 222, a smallamount of liquid crystal material may be ejected or otherwise removedfrom between the plates 20 of the display 10 along the exposed edge 16,e.g., to create a space between the plates 20 for receiving an adhesiveor other sealant. For example, the pressure in the bladder 126 may beincreased slightly, e.g., by about one to three psi, to compress theplates 20 of the display 10 slightly together from their intendedperformance spacing, thereby causing a small amount of LC material to beforced out along the exposed edge 16.

The exposed LC material may be removed from along the exposed edge 16,e.g., using a cotton swab, fabric, or other absorbent or nonabsorbentmaterial. In addition, the exposed edge 16 may be cleaned and/orotherwise treated. Alternatively, the LC material may be removed frombetween the plates 20, e.g., by wicking, draining, and the like, similarto the methods described in the '906 patent incorporated by referenceabove.

At step 224, an adhesive, e.g., a bead of flowable adhesive, may then beapplied along the exposed edge 16, e.g., while the target portion 12 isheld in a vertical position. In an exemplary embodiment, the adhesivemay be sufficiently flowable to allow the adhesive to be applied as abead from a container, but may have sufficient viscosity to remain in abead without flowing off of the exposed edge 16. Alternatively, theadhesive may have a relatively low viscosity, e.g., to allow it to flowinwardly between the plates 20, and/or to fill any empty space in thetarget portion 12 between the plates 20 and the liquid crystal materialremaining between the plates 20, as described further below. A wettingand/or thinning agent may be used, if it is desirable to reduce theviscosity of the adhesive. Exemplary adhesives that may be used includeUV curing acrylic adhesives with nominal viscosity, epoxies, andurethanes.

At step 226, the pressure in the bladder 126 may be reduced, e.g., toabout one pound per square inch gauge pressure, allowing the adhesive tobe drawn into the plates 20 (i.e., penetrate and enter between theplates 20) along the exposed edge 16. For an adhesive such as Loctite349, it may require several minutes for the adhesive to penetratesufficiently between the plates 20. For example, it may take about four(4) minutes for the adhesive to penetrate a distance of at least about0.040 inch in between the plates 20. The penetration distance isgenerally proportional to the time allowed and inversely proportional tothe increment of pressure reduction. As the pressure in the bladder 126is reduced, the plates 20 may separate, thereby increasing the volume ofthe interior region, and drawing at least some of the adhesive betweenthe plates 20 (to preserve the volume of material within the interiorregion).

In an exemplary embodiment, the plates 20 may be returned to theoriginal predetermined cell spacing as the pressure is reduced. Thus,the volume of adhesive drawn between the plates 20 may be substantiallythe same as the volume of liquid-crystal material that is ejected frombetween the plates 20.

At step 228, after the adhesive has penetrated between the plates 20,the adhesive may be cured by appropriate methods to complete resizingthe customized display, such as the display 10′ shown in FIGS. 2A and2B. For example, for a UV-curable adhesive, the target portion 12 may beexposed to ultraviolet light for sufficient time to substantially curethe adhesive between the plates, e.g., for at least about thirty secondsto two minutes depending upon the intensity of the UV and thesensitivity of the adhesive. Optionally, a UV curing lamp(s) and/orheater(s) (not shown) may be mounted in a pressure chamber of thepressure plate tool 110 to facilitate curing. Alternatively, otheradhesives may be utilized that are cured using heat and/or pressure.

Optionally, the display 10′ may be outgassed either before or aftercuring the adhesive. Exemplary apparatus and methods for applying a sealto the exposed edge 16 and/or for outgassing the display 10′ aredisclosed in International Application No. PCT/US2004/028563, filed Sep.1, 2004, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated byreference herein.

If desired, any excess adhesive disposed along the exposed edge 16 maybe removed, e.g., wiped away before the adhesive is cured, or cut,scraped away, or otherwise removed, e.g., using chemicals or mechanicaldevices, after the adhesive is cured. Alternatively, the excess adhesivemay remain along the sealed exposed edge 16. For example, an excessamount of adhesive may be added to the display 10′ to be used duringsubsequent assembly or other preparation of the final product. Suchexcess adhesive material may be contoured and shaped, e.g., by moldingand the like, to facilitate interfacing with a bezel (not shown) and/orotherwise optimize the display design.

After curing, the customized display 10′ may be removed from thepressure plate tool 110, and cleaned as necessary and/or tested.Optionally, another portion (or portions) of the customized display 10′may be cut and sealed using similar methods to further customize thedisplay 10.′ If desired, one or more additional seals may be added tothe customized display 10,′ along the now-sealed exposed edge 16 and/oralong one or more of the additional edges. For example, a second seal 27may be added, as desired, and then outgassed and/or cured as necessary.The second seal 27 may be a silicone or other material, e.g., applied tominimize the penetration of humidity and/or other contaminants into theliquid crystal material inside the cell, e.g., when the display 10′subjected to its operating environment. Optionally, the second seal 27may have black ink, dye, and/or other pigment added thereto to produce asubstantially black or other opaque color, and may be applied up to theouter perimeter of the target display image area 40′, to prevent backlight from passing through the display 10′ around the outer edges of thetarget display image area 40.′

In addition or alternatively, an optional mask or third seal 28 may beadded to the newly-exposed plate edges, e.g., over the seal 27, and/orapplied up to the outer perimeter of the target display image area 40.′The mask 28 is shown partially broken away in FIG. 2A. It should bedark, e.g., black, and may be tape, ink, sealant, adhesive, plastic,and/or any other suitable material. At least one of the second seal 27,or the optional mask 28 may be used to replace any of the original mask(not shown) removed during the customization process. Additionally, themask 28 may be placed around the entire perimeter of the cell, e.g.,substantially overlying the original perimeter seal 25 and originalmask. The third seal or mask may cover part of the active area of thecustomized display 10′ that is not used or desired to be seen be theuser in the final implementation. Methods for applying such secondand/or third seals 27, 28 are described in the '906 Patent, incorporatedby reference above.

Additionally, though the examples used herein generally refer tocustomizing COTS AMLCDs into square displays (e.g., for avionicsapplications), the concepts are equally applicable to other types ofLCDs or other display technologies, and for other industrialapplications including those requiring other customized shapes.Furthermore, though the examples used show only one set of row TABs andtwo sets of column TABS, in practice that may be switched, or there maybe two sets of each, and the quantity of each may vary, all as isdesired or needed for a specific application.

The processes described herein may be automated and refined to includeseveral tools, and operations, e.g., operating in one or more passes tocomplete multiple functions, such as spraying with a cleaning agent orother solvent, rubbing (e.g., with an absorbent material and/orsqueegee) to remove adhesive or other debris, drying with an air jet,vacuuming to remove particles, brushing to clean the surface and/or thetools, and the like.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications, andalternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown in thedrawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood,however, that the invention is not to be limited to the particularembodiments or methods disclosed, but to the contrary, the invention isto cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling withinthe scope of the appended claims.

1. A method for resizing an electronic display including top and bottomplates, and imaging-generating medium sealed between the top and bottomplates to define a display image area of the display, the displaycomprising one or more layers overlying an outer surface of the topplate, the method comprising: identifying a cut line overlying thedisplay image area and defining a target portion and an excess portionof the display; passing a fine-toothed round saw along the cut line overthe display such that the saw removes polarizer material and creates achannel having a width “W” that extends through the one or more layersto the outer surface of the top plate without cutting into the outersurface of the top plate, the saw having a width corresponding to thewidth “W” or slightly less than “W”; and passing a scriber tool alongthe cut line within the channel to create a scribe line in the outersurface of the top plate.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprisingbreaking the top plate along the scribe line to at least partiallyseparate the target portion from the excess portion.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the bottom plate comprises one or more layers overlyingan outer surface of the bottom plate, the method further comprising:passing the saw along the cut line over the display such that the sawremoves polarizer material and creates a channel having a width “W” thatextends through the one or more layers to the outer surface of thebottom plate without cutting into the outer surface of the bottom plate;and passing a scriber tool along the cut line within the channel tocreate a scribe line in the outer surface of the bottom plate.
 4. Themethod of claim 3, further comprising breaking the top and bottom platesalong the scribe line to completely separate the target portion from theexcess portion, thereby creating an exposed edge wherein theimage-generating medium sealed between the top and bottom plates isexposed along the exposed edge.
 5. The method of claim 4, furthercomprising applying a seal along the exposed edge.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the seal is applied such that the seal extends inbetween the plates along the exposed edge.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising cleaning the channel before passing the scriber toolalong the cut line.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein cleaning comprisesat least one of delivering a solvent along the channel to dissolvematerial from within the channel and directing a tool along the channelto remove material from within the channel.
 9. The method of claim 7,wherein at least two of the steps of passing a saw, passing a scribertool, and cleaning the channel are accomplished in a single pass of acutting assembly along the cut line.
 10. A method for resizing anelectronic display including top and bottom plates, andimaging-generating medium sealed between the top and bottom plates, thedisplay comprising one or more layers overlying an outer surface of thetop and bottom plates, the method comprising: identifying a cut linedefining a target portion and an excess portion of the display; passinga round saw along the cut line over the display such that the sawremoves substantially all of the polarizer material below the saw downto the outer surface of the top plate and creates a channel having awidth “W” that extends through the one or more layers to the outersurface of the top plate without cutting into the outer surface of thetop plate, the saw having a width corresponding to the width “W” orslightly less than “W”; passing a scriber tool along the cut line withinthe channel to create a scribe line in the outer surface of the topplate; passing a saw along the cut line over the display such that thesaw removes substantially all of the polarizer material below the sawdown to the outer surface of the bottom plate and creates a channelhaving a width “W” that extends through the one or more layers to theouter surface of the bottom plate without cutting into the outer surfaceof the bottom plate; passing a scriber tool along the cut line withinthe channel to create a scribe line in the outer surface of the bottomplate; breaking the top and bottom plates along the scribe line toseparate the target portion from the excess portion to create an exposededge; and applying a seal along the exposed edge.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein the seal is applied such that the seal extends inbetween the plates along the exposed edge.
 12. The method of claim 10,further comprising cleaning the channel before passing the scriber toolalong the cut line.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein cleaning thechannel comprises at least one of delivering a solvent along the channelto dissolve material from within the channel and directing a tool alongthe channel to remove material from within the channel.
 14. The methodof claim 13, wherein at least two of the steps of passing a saw, passinga scriber tool, and cleaning the channel are accomplished in a singlepass of a cutting assembly along the cut line.
 15. A method for resizingan electronic display including top and bottom plates, andimaging-generating medium sealed between the top and bottom plates, thedisplay comprising one or more layers overlying an outer surface of thetop plate, the method comprising: identifying a cut line defining atarget portion and an excess portion of the display; passing a cuttingassembly along the cut line in a single pass such that a round saw onthe cutting assembly removes substantially all of the polarizer materialbelow the saw down to the outer surface of the top plate withoutscoring, abrading, or otherwise damaging the top plate and creates achannel having a width “W” that extends through the one or more layersto the outer surface of the top plate, and a scriber tool on the cuttingassembly passes along the cut line within the channel to create a scribeline in the surface of the top plate.
 16. The method of claim 15,further comprising breaking the top plate along the scribe line to atleast partially separate the target portion from the excess portion. 17.The method of claim 15, wherein the bottom plate comprises one or morelayers overlying an outer surface of the bottom plate, the methodfurther comprising passing the cutting assembly along the bottom platein a single pass such that the saw creates a channel having a width “W”that extends through the one or more layers to the outer surface of thebottom plate without scoring, abrading, or otherwise damaging the topplate, and the scriber tool passes within the channel to create a scribeline in the surface of the bottom plate.
 18. The method of claim 17,further comprising: breaking the top and bottom plates along the scribelines to completely separate the target portion from the excess portion,thereby creating an exposed edge; and applying a seal along the exposededge.
 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising cleaning thechannel before passing the scriber tool along the cut line.
 20. Themethod of claim 19, wherein cleaning comprises at least one ofdelivering a solvent along the channel using the cutting assembly todissolve material from within the channel and directing a tool on thecutting assembly along the channel to remove material from within thechannel.
 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the width “W” is about 1.25millimeters (0.050 inch) or less.
 22. The method of claim 1, wherein thescriber tool has a width smaller than the width “W” such that thescriber tool contacts the surface of the top plate without requiringfurther removal of the polarizer material.
 23. The method of claim 1,further comprising cleaning the outer surface of the top plate along thecut line before passing the scriber tool along the cut line.
 24. Themethod of claim 10, wherein breaking the top and bottom plates along thescribe line comprises breaking the top and bottom plates separately. 25.A method for resizing an electronic display including top and bottomplates, and imaging-generating medium sealed between the top and bottomplates to define a display image area of the display, the displaycomprising one or more film layers overlying an outer surface of the topplate, the method comprising: identifying a cut line overlying thedisplay image area and defining a target portion and an excess portionof the display; passing a fine-toothed round saw along the cut line overthe display such that the saw removes film material and creates achannel having a width “W” that extends through the one or more filmlayers to the outer surface of the top plate without cutting into theouter surface of the top plate, the saw having a width corresponding tothe width “W” or slightly less than “W”; and passing a scriber toolalong the cut line to create a scribe line in the outer surface of thetop plate.
 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising cleaning theouter surface of the top plate along the cut line before passing thescriber tool along the cut line.
 27. The method of claim 26, whereincleaning comprises delivering a solvent along the cut line to dissolvematerial from the outer surface of the top plate.
 28. The method ofclaim 26, wherein passing the fine-toothed round saw tool, passing thescriber tool, and cleaning the outer surface are accomplished in asingle pass of a cutting assembly along the cut line.